Houston-Area District Celebrates Opening of New Elementary School

The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District in Rosenberg, Texas, recently celebrated the dedication and grand opening of a new elementary school, according to a news release. Ariadne Mathews Gray Elementary School opened this year with an enrollment of 447 students, local news reports, and was designed in partnership with VLK Architects.

According to the news release, the school boasts a prototype campus designed to streamline student circulation; facilitate administration and supervision; and provide safety and security for students, faculty, and staff. Six classroom pods, one per grade level, break off from the main corridor. Each pod includes amenities like special program areas, collaboration spaces, and centralized restrooms. The campus also features multiple outdoor learning spaces fenced off from one another between classroom pods. The campus’ heart is a centralized media center with a large group instruction space.

The school was named after Ariadne Mathews Grey, a native of Richmond, Texas, and graduate of Lamar Consolidated High School. She was the founder and CEO of Lunches of Love, a nonprofit that feeds more than 4,000 students across 18 schools in the district.

“Ariadne’s heart for students and her community is contagious, and it was very evident that she loved what she did,” said Lamar CISD Superintendent Dr. Roosevelt Nivens. “It was a true honor to know Ariadne, and the service that Lunches of Love provides to the community is second to none.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Illinois State University Breaks Ground on College of Fine Arts Transformation

    Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts transformation project, according to university news. The series of new constructions and renovations will upgrade spaces in Centennial East, the Center for the Visual Arts, and the Center for the Performing Arts, as well as replace the existing Centennial West facility with a new Commons Building.

  • Quattrocchi Kwok Architects Opens New Office in Denver

    Education planning and design firm Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) recently announced that it has opened a new office in Denver, Colo., the firm’s third overall. QKA is headquartered in Santa Rosa, Calif., and runs an East Bay Area office in Oakland.

  • Texas District Breaks Ground on Second High School

    The Waller Independent School District in Waller, Texas, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for what will become its second high school, according to a news release.

  • Philadelphia Middle School Facility Earns LEED Gold Certification

    The Alternative Middle Years (AMY) at James Martin Middle School in Philadelphia, Penn., recently received a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The School District of Pennsylvania partnered with KSS Architects on the project.